Selex Develops Falcon Shield Anti-Drone System

Despite the rise of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), from hobbyist to commercial and military, in the US, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has so far failed to properly regulate the use of drones, famously culminating in a small UAV crashing on the White House lawn. In the absence of proper legislation, an Italian firm has developed a counter-drone system. Selex has built Falcon Shield, which combines radar, cameras, and microphones to detect, track, and even attack drones that attempt to infiltrate the system’s airspace.

“Falcon Shield makes use of Selex ES’s high-performance, passive electro-optical and electronic surveillance sensors, combined with scenario specific radar,” according to the company website. “These provide a fully integrated threat detection, identification and tracking capability which enables Falcon Shield to operate in environments that range from wide area through to high-clutter, ‘urban canyons.'”

The system even includes a remote override option, which allows the system to take over control of an errant UAV. “Incorporated within the Falcon Shield system is Selex ES’s unique electronic attack capability that provides users with the ability to disrupt or take control of the threat,” the company claims.

Falcon Shield is intended for use in private areas, such as football stadia, military bases, campuses, or private estates.

Selex plans to demonstrate its anti-drone shield, and other products, at a joint US-UK exercise due to take place in the UK in April.